Luca's consciousness returned to his body as he stepped through the golden portal and back into New York.
However, his mind was still replaying the final conversation he'd had with the Ancient One.
"That old timer really deserves the title of Master Freeloader. She's taken 'getting something for nothing' to an art form!"
This sentiment stemmed directly from his last question to her.
Where do I get the troops?
According to the Ancient One, the Hextech Dimension was still in its infancy and didn't have any native life forms yet.
But the Dimensional Battlefield didn't require native species to participate. In fact, not having exclusive "Hextech Lifeforms" wasn't necessarily bad for Luca.
The Dimensional Battlefield existed to facilitate the fusion of two different dimensions.
So, when native creatures from either dimension died on the battlefield, they would immediately decompose into nutrients.
The same applied to dissipated energy. Even non-living matter wouldn't vanish instantly, but under the corrosive effects of the battlefield's clashing energies, it would accelerate in decay, eventually transforming into energy and merging into the battlefield bit by bit.
This was why the fighting style of Dimensional Gods' minions often seemed primitive and savage.
Their lifespan was one reason, but more importantly, creatures that fought using their own bodies and energy were digested instantly upon death, allowing their home dimension to reclaim at least half of that energy.
But if you brought complex material weapons onto the battlefield, a small defeat could mean your weapons fell into enemy hands, allowing them to snowball their advantage even faster.
However, things were different for foreign objects that didn't belong to either dimension.
The Dimensional Battlefield accepted all comers.
When foreign matter dissipated on the battlefield, it could still be digested, strengthening both dimensions simultaneously.
But because this power didn't belong to either side originally, digestion took time, and the speed varied depending on the material.
Unclaimed energy that dissipated on the battlefield was digested the fastest.
Its digestion speed was basically on par with the native energy of the two dimensions.
Lasers, magic, souls—most of these fell into this category.
However, tangible matter was different.
Biological corpses needed to decompose and slowly merge into the ground. Harder objects like metal and stone could often persist on the Dimensional Battlefield for decades or even centuries before being fully swallowed.
And as luck would have it! Luca's specialty was manufacturing war machines.
Furthermore, the materials needed to build these machines could be entirely mined from Earth.
So, this war against the Hell Dimension could very well turn into this:
Your demons die and turn into energy, which our two dimensions split 50/50.
My robots get destroyed, and the Dimensional Battlefield gets indigestion. I drag the scrap back, fix it up, recharge it, and send it right back out to kill again.
"Hmm, if I use Yuri tech, I can do this with more than just machines. Bio-modified soldiers work the same way."
Luca even considered using psychic tech to mind-control some Hell demons on the battlefield, then tossing them straight into a "Grinder" to convert them into "funds."
"So, would the troops built with those funds count as dimensional creatures? Or foreign matter?"
This model of warfare—where the enemy basically funded both sides of the conflict—left Luca marveling.
"The Ancient One is truly an expert in freeloading!"
Yes, Luca had decided to accept this war. He was also determined to deploy a "Yuri Construction Vehicle" (MCV) to establish a front line as his main force.
After all, the Yuri MCV existed precisely to rapidly build forward bases.
Using New York's terrain as the battlefield... well, it wasn't exactly huge. If he were facing the entire Hell Dimension directly, Luca might have hesitated.
But for a "local conflict" like this, with a force like the "Yuri Tech Tree" that could recycle resources, there was no reason not to go toe-to-toe with them!
"Worst case scenario, I lose and give up the Hextech Dimension. Still better than handing it over without a fight."
Of course, the specifics required careful planning.
He definitely wouldn't send the original [Yuri MCV], which possessed the conceptual power of spreading influence, to such a dangerous battlefield. If it got damaged, he'd be heartbroken for days.
But with Luca's current resources, building a few brand-new replica "Yuri MCVs" wouldn't be stressful at all.
"I'll build a few more. Deploy some on the Dimensional Battlefield, and keep a few in reserve inside the Hextech Dimension just in case."
"But once I get back, I'll need to adjust the units and weapons I send to the battlefield. Energy weapons, specifically, need optimization. It'd be best to make some gear that can detect enemy energy levels."
According to the rules of the "Dimensional Battlefield," dissipated energy attacks were split 50/50 between the two sides.
If energy was quantified, firing a high-cost attack like the "Destroying Dragon Arrow" (value 100) to kill enemies worth only a dozen points of energy would be a massive loss for Luca.
Similarly, he needed to consider whether projectile weapons could be recovered.
If the recovery rate was under 50% and required manpower to clear the field, it might be less cost-effective than energy attacks.
Right, portals too. The old timer agreed to send a squad of Kamar-Taj sorcerers to help, but if I can figure out the teleportation principles, it'd be more convenient to build my own dimensional gates.
Since Kamar-Taj sorcerers used magic, sending them to the Dimensional Battlefield was basically a net loss. Even if a powerhouse like the Ancient One stepped in, it would be like gifting free energy to both dimensions.
So really, for the war Luca was about to face, Kamar-Taj's role would likely be limited to just opening the door.
"Modify the tech, expand production, build a base... hmm... I should also pick a commander to permanently station on the Dimensional Battlefield. Looks like I'm going to be busy."
As Luca pondered his next steps, he walked back onto the temporary research ship Tony had assigned to him and Banner, floating off the coast of New York.
What he didn't know was that after he left, the Ancient One was in a pretty good mood too.
Outside Earth's dimension, having received the message from her clone, a satisfied look crossed the Ancient One's face.
"Got another solid achievement to show off... Looks like I'll have to delay retirement a bit longer!"
"Hmm... but I can still find an opportunity to bring Strange back to Kamar-Taj."
Although Strange wasn't capable of participating in a massive project like completely destroying Hell yet, starting his training early would help him handle the daily chores later.
Lost in thought, the Ancient One let go with her right hand to smooth her blonde hair.
It wasn't until the chain binding her enemy shuddered that she grabbed it again and gave it a sharp yank.
"Quit it! I'm thinking!"